Vikings Wide Receiver Adam Thielen Honors Alex Trebek with Jeopardy!-Themed Custom Cleats

Adam Thielen wore the custom cleats during this week's Monday Night Football pregame

Published on November 17, 2020 12:40 PM

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen is paying tribute to Alex Trebek.

The 30-year-old athlete honored the late Jeopardy! host — who died earlier this month after a battle with stage four pancreatic cancer — with a pair of custom cleats during the Monday Night Football pregame.

Artist Dan Gamache shared photos on Twitter of the cleats, which feature a detailed painting of Trebek with a halo over his head and the years of his life, 1940 to 2020. The message "We Will Miss You, Alex" was also written in a blue rectangle, along with a $19,000 "wager," likely referencing Thielen's #19 jersey number.

In addition, the name "Trebek" replaced "Adidas" under the brand’s three stripes on the cleats.

Adam Thielen, Alex Trebek — Mache/Twitter; Inset: Kevin Winter/Getty

"For #MNF pregame tonight my guy @athielen19 will be honoring the legend Alex Trebek who passed last week. I feel like no matter where you were from I feel like Jeopardy was a part of all of our lives in some way. Folded hands #skol," Gamache wrote alongside the photos.

The Vikings shared a photo of the cleats on Twitter, writing, "Cool cleats for $2,000."

Minnesota beat the Chicago Bears 19-13 on Monday. Thielen has played for the Vikings since 2013 when he was drafted as a free agent.

Trebek died on Nov. 8 at the age of 80, over a year after he was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2019.

His long-running ABC program, which he hosted for 35 years, announced his death in a tweet. "Jeopardy is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex," the show tweeted.

Before the Nov. 9 Jeopardy! episode, executive producer Mike Richards shared a brief tribute to the late host, whose final episode is set to air on Christmas Day.

"Over the weekend we lost our beloved host Alex Trebek. This is an enormous loss for our staff and crew, for his family and for his millions of fans," Richards said. "He loved this show and everything it stood for."

"He will forever be an inspiration for his constant desire to learn, his kindness and for his love of his family," Richards continued.

Richards went on to say that Trebek had filmed his final episodes less than two weeks before his death and that they would air the 35 episodes because "that's what he wanted."